Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver ever at the race in the modern era having finished first four times here.
However, an engine problem on Saturday that saw him left without turbo meant he could not record a qualifying time and will start last on the grid.
The German is already 28 points behind F1 World Drivers’ Championship leader Lewis Hamilton and could see his title hopes fade away almost entirely if he does not fight his way through the field.
But even once he does get past the slower cars, he will still find himself troubled by the Red Bulls who have shown good pace, especially in the wet, and Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who starts second.
- Starting grid: 1st Hamilton, 2nd Raikkonen, 3rd Verstappen, 4th Ricciardo, 5th Bottas, 6th Ocon, 7th Vandoorne, 8th Hulkenberg, 9th Perez, 10th Alonso, 11th Massa, 12th Palmer, 13th Stroll, 14th Sainz, 15th Gasly, 16th Grosjean, 17th Magnussen, 18th Wehrlein, 19th Ericsson, 20th Vettel
- Some rain expected during race
- Hamilton looking to stretch 28-point championship lead with six races left
- Raikkonen pushed off grid with engine problem
Malaysian Grand Prix 2017 LIVE – latest updates from Sepang
7.55am: DISASTER for Ferrari.
“I have no battery. It’s just empty,” Raikkonen said on his way to the grid.
Briefly, Ferrari think they’ve fixed it with some last-minute repairs in the second-place grid slot.
But then the men in red push their car back to the pit-lane for further repairs. That is terrible news for Ferrari, who will now effectively start 19th and 20th.
7.50am: Mercedes are not guaranteed a win here, as a Lewis Hamilton pole often dictates. Their race pace has not been good this weekend and his first task will be beating Kimi Raikkonen into Turn 1.
Behind him, the second row has two aggressive Red Bull drivers waiting to pounce, although Max Verstappen admitted he would need some rain to fall if he wants to win. 10 minutes to go…
7.40am: There was a massive downpour here about an hour ago that has left the track a bit damp and a few cars went out on intermediates on their way to the grid but it looks like we will start on slicks. It’s drying fast in the heat.
7.30am: Just a thought about what appears to be Sebastian Vettel’s title challenge disappearing fast.
There is some cyclical composition for Lewis Hamilton, whose engine failure here last year proved to be decisive in his title battle with Nico Rosberg.
“Oh nooo no!” his radio message rang out on that day.
“Yes YES!” we might hear today.
7.15am: This is of course our last trip to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
In April, the Malaysian government confirmed that it had withdrawn its support for the race – their financial backing was the only way the Grand Prix could be staged and they were unable to justify the ongoing spend.
“I think we should stop hosting the F1. At least for a while,” said Malaysia’s youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
”Cost too high, returns limited.
“When we first hosted the F1 it was a big deal. First in Asia outside Japan.
“Now so many venues. No first mover advantage. Not a novelty.”
Sad for me. Plenty have criticised this track but I think it’s spectacular. So there.
7am: Morning! Yes, that’s right. It’s F1 in the Far East which means here in the UK, the petrolheads are up early on Sunday. (It gets worst next week in Japan. Honestly.)
This is sure to be an interesting couple of hours. Remember how we talked about the 2017 cars being beasts to drive? Imagine doing that in the oppressively humid conditions of Malaysia and if you’re Sebastian Vettel, with 19 cars starting in front of you.
There is also rain around – although no two forecasts are the same, adding an extra level of unpredictability to what is already a mouth-watering encounter.
